


Calamity in Green

by sailsofmemory



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:53:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23298097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailsofmemory/pseuds/sailsofmemory
Summary: Kylo Ren arrives at the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss, carrying a Wayfinder and a proposition for Rey.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 11
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

Rey was meditating when she heard - no, when she _felt_ \- Kylo Ren arrive at the Resistance base. She couldn't say she was surprised he found them. The jungle moon of Ajan Kloss was remote, but strategically located and the First Order's spies were everywhere. It was only a matter of time until Ren found them. What did surprise her was that she felt no presence apart from the Force signature of Kylo Ren. The Supreme Leader had come alone. Her stomach clenching slightly, Rey slowly lowered herself to the ground, allowing the rocks that were hovering overhead to land gently beside her. BB-8 rolled toward her, appearing suddenly from the tree line, beeping frantically at her.

"Yes, yes I know," she said, gathering her staff and slinging it over her shoulder. "I felt him." 

With the still-beeping droid rolling behind her, Rey dashed from the training ground and made her way to the rapidly-growing crowd. Rounding a corner, she finally saw Kylo Ren's ship come into view. The Silencer was perched ominously at the edge of the base, an unwelcome bearer of its even more unwelcome pilot. The crowd around Rey gave the ship a wide berth as shouts turned to whispers. There was no movement from the Silencer, and, eventually, no movement from the crowd of Resistance fighters. Rey hovered near the back of the group, wishing desperately that Finn or Poe were here - but Leia had sent them on an information-gathering mission, and both they and the Falcon were gone. She was shaking. She wasn't sure why she was shaking - she had fought Kylo Ren, and even fought _beside_ Kylo Ren. Perhaps it was the lack of contact they had had since the Battle of Crait - had she shut him out, or was it the other way around? Rey wasn't sure - wasn't sure about _any_ of this. 

"Rey." The voice broke through her thoughts. "Rey, you have to come with me, now." Rey turned to see Rose Tico whispering frantically to her, her hand extended, gesturing to Rey to follow her. Rey nodded, taking the smaller woman's hand and following her out of the crowd. At least she could breath a bit better now.

"What is it?" Rey asked, although even she wasn't sure what she meant by the question. Rose, usually so composed and sure of herself, seemed jittery, nervous. 

"Leia wants to see you," she said, maneuvering them through the rushing Resistance members who were, at this moment, arming themselves to the hilt. Rey watched the pilots ready their ships as they rushed toward the center of the base to find Leia. It was still entirely unclear why Kylo Ren had landed on the base - or what was coming behind him. The Resistance was simultaneously reading for battle, and for escape. Rey found the emotions rushing through her impossible to control. She was failing, floundering, drowning in them. Fear, of course. Anger that Kylo Ren would disturb them here - would disturb _her_ here. Curiosity, a bit. And something she found hard to place - was it longing? Longing for what? She tried to shake the thoughts and followed Rose up the stairs to Leia's headquarters, taking them two at a time. 

They found Leia standing at the large window overlooking the entire base. She was a picture of grace, composure - and deep sadness. From here, she could see the chaos unfolding - and stoic, sitting silently at the edge of the chaos, was the Silencer. Leia turned when she heard them enter the room. It was just the three of them.

"Thank you, Rose. You may stay," Leia said, nodding to Rose before turning to Rey. "Do you know why he is here?"

Rey had to hold back a smile. The General never was one to mince words. Still, she had to disappoint Leia. She shook her head.

"I don't. I think he cut himself off from our connection after Crait. Or maybe I did? I'm not sure," she said, trying to regain her composure. "I only felt his presence when he landed on Ajan Kloss. But I can't feel his emotions, or his intentions. It's like...it's like trying to punch a hole in a wall, trying to make contact with him," Rey finished, honestly.

Leia nodded, then turned slightly away, glancing out the window toward her son's ship After a few seconds, she turned back to Rey. "Try again," she said, simply. It wasn't a request.

"Master, I already - " she was cut off by a wave of Leia's hand.

"Try _again_ ," Leia said, firmly but not unkindly. "You might be our only hope of understand his intentions right now."

Rey swallowed, breathed hard, and closed her eyes. What she had told Leia was true - she had been trying since Ren landed to break into his mind, or at least to get a sense of his intention. Nothing. He had himself well-guarded. Still, she would try again. She reached out with her mind, envisioning a soft breeze billowing out toward the Silencer. She wanted to try, perhaps illogically, to put Kylo Ren at ease in the same way that she would approach a wild animal, or a wounded droid. She wanted to show him she meant no harm. To her surprise, something met her. Something she knew was Kylo Ren's own mind, reaching toward her. It was tentative, grazing against her mind's gesture, brushing against it as if to determine its intention.

Cleary, it judged her intention harmful.

Rey screamed as Ren's own mind wrapped painfully around her own, flipping almost frenetically through her memories. Rey, driven to her knees with the effort, blocked all knowledge she had of Resistance plans, supplies, movements, and strategies. But, to her surprise, these were not Kylo Ren's goal. He dove deeper and deeper, and through the pain she could see Leia holding Rose back from helping Rey. Suddenly, Ren found what he was looking for as his search slowed at...her childhood? Memories of her younger self on Jakuu whirled around her - her starving, sprinting, screaming, clawing at the sands to survive. When the sight of her childhood self screaming for her parents to return flashed through her mind, Rey found her strength, repelling Ren with wild force from her mind. But he wasn't entirely gone.  
  
" _Scavenger..._ " Ren's voice said, echoing through her mind before he departed completely. She felt ferocious, livid - and oddly empty. She remained kneeling on the floor of the control room, breathing heavily, keeping her gaze trained on the ground. She couldn't focus.   
  
"Rey," Leia's voice broke through her mind. "Rey, come back. Breathe. Just breathe." 

And Rey did. She breathed. She emptied her mind - almost. She couldn't quite rid herself of the image of her childhood self crying for her parents to return, or of the voice that still seemed to echo through her mind. Still, she needed to move. Placing her hands firmly on her knees, she pushed herself into a shaky standing position, feeling Rose rush to her side, propping her up.

"What was it? What did you see?" Rose asked, walking Rey over to a chair and lowering her into it. Rey was unspeakably grateful - Rose's kind gestures were so often overlooked, but to Rey, they were a gentleness she had rarely experienced. 

"I..." Rey started, not knowing quite what she saw, or how to describe what she felt. "I'm not sure. He was looking for something..."  
  
"Intelligence?" Rose interjected, looking frantically from Rey to Leia. "We have to get away from here. We have to get mobile. He'll come back if he saw our plans, our supplies. He'll-" 

A raised hand from Leia cut Rose off. Rose still looked worried, but looked back at Rey, who was shaking her head.

"No, no it wasn't that. I tried to block all that from him, but he wasn't looking for anything about the Resistance. It was like he was looking for something in my past...something about me," she said, looking up at Leia, feeling for all the world like a scared little girl. "He told me I was nothing. He told my parents were junk traders, that they were nobody. Why would he be forcing me to see that again? What is this?"

Leia looked a type of concerned that Rey had rarely seen. The General looked like she was searching for the right words to continue with - and it appeared to be a very delicate search.   
  
"Rey," she started, but the rest of her response was cut off suddenly by a large shout that had gone up from the crowd outside, surrounding the Silencer. The three women stood and turned toward the window, just in time to see the bridge of the Silencer open and lower to the ground. And there, standing still as a long-forgotten monument, was Kylo Ren. He did not descend the bridge, only stood within the ship. Though he was nearly out of their sight, Rey's stomach turned when he saw him wearing his mask - clearly, it had been repaired, horribly. The cracks were filled in with what appeared to be hardened lava, giving Ren an earthly feel. And there he stood, watching - waiting, Rey realized. 

"Reach back out to him!" Rose said, turning toward Rey and grabbing her hand. "Rey, lie to him. Tell him we've got backup on the way and that he better leave now!"   
  
Rey shook her head, sadly. "He'll know, Rose. He'll know I'm lying. It's no use," she said, turning back to the window, where she could see the now-silent crowd also stood stock-still, watching for Ren's next move. "He's here for something and I have a feeling he won't leave until he gets it. But I don't think he's here to fight us," she said. "I just...I don't think so."

Suddenly, Rey's eye caught movement inside the ship. Kylo Ren had ignited his lightsaber in one fluid movement, the blade pointed toward the floor of his ship, almost lazily. Crackling saber in hand, Ren stalked down the bridge of the ship, causing chaos to erupt in the crowd of Resistance fighters. But Ren clearly had no time for them as he stalked through the crowd, sparing now second glances as men and women scrambled to get out of his way. They clearly had sensed his intention - to reach the General in the control room. A few blaster shots rung out - and were deflected by Ren as easily as swatting away a fly. Rey saw an x-wing lower its guns toward Ren - a move he saw as well. In the blink of an eye, the guns were crushed. Try as they would like, there was nothing a lightly-armed Resistance fighter could do against the Supreme Leader, who drew nearer his destination.

Rey turned to Leia and Rose. "You need to leave. He's not here for you. I know it. I _feel_ it. Leave now," she said, her voice shaking only slightly. 

Leia shook her head. "I'm his mother. He won't hurt me," she said, smiling slightly. "I sense it too, Rey." 

Rey looked at Rose, who also shook her head. "I'm staying," she said, putting her foot down literally and metaphorically. Rey knew there was no arguing with the women, so she just nodded and turned to the door, where she could feel Kylo Ren getting closer, almost to their location. Suddenly, she felt Leia press something cold and hard into her hand - Luke's saber. Leia nodded to her, and Rey understood. She lit the saber, holding it defensively just as the door to the control room opened and Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order, stepped almost lazily over the threshold. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Scavenger.” It was more a statement than anything, coming almost mockingly from Ren as he strode across the threshold, locking the door behind him. Rey had a feeling that door would only open again through his volition. He stood exactly as Rey remembered him – imposing, looming, and thoroughly in control of the situation at hand. His gaze, hidden by the repaired helmet, seemed to sweep across the room. He was in no hurry, it seemed. 

And then the bastard bowed slightly. It was an almost imperceptible movement, and Rey couldn’t tell if it was directed at her, at Leia, or as a general mocking gesture. Regardless, her temper flared, and she spat out a response. 

“Not. Anymore.” Rey spoke through gritted teeth as she raised her lit saber slightly. She couldn’t understand, for the life of her, why Ren continued his use of that nickname for her. Had they not already established that, yes, that was a past life of hers? That she had risen above that?

“Too right,” Kylo Ren responded, curtly. He moved closer to them, taking in the women before him almost curiously. Then, he killed his saber, placing it safely in his belt. “I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, his voice muffled by the helmet. 

Rey scoffed, but before she could say anything, Rose piped up behind her. “That’s all you do, you monster!” She shouted, peering over Rey’s shoulder. “You hurt, and you hurt, until there’s nothing left.”

“Again, too right,” Ren said, softer this time. “Well, perhaps you’re correct. Harm will be done today. But how much harm? Perhaps that depends on your response now.” 

“Speak plainly,” Rey said. She was tired of playing games. But clearly, Ren was not. He ignored her request, stepping forward quickly and using his body to physically separate the three women until he came face-to-face with Leia. Rey could feel nothing from him – he had again closed himself off to her.

“Mother…” Ren said, his voice trailing off inside the helmet. Was it tenderness in his voice? A plea? Something more insidious, mocking? A reminder of how much she had failed in that role? Rey could not say. 

Finally, Leia spoke. “Son,” she said, very simply, as though he had truly been her son his entirely life. Perhaps it was not what Kylo Ren wanted to hear. Or perhaps the word startled him out of his stupor, as he simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Maybe once,” he responded, turning away from her as his cloak swept behind him. All at once, he had turned away from them, and was gazing out the large windows over the chaos he had caused on the base. Rey still kept the saber lit, but lowered slightly, waiting for him to make the next move. She had never seen Ren behave this way – simultaneously seeking comfort and pushing it away; seeming changed yet all at once the same Supreme Leader. It frightened her; it made him seem like a wounded animal. And wounded animals were dangerous.

Unfortunately, Rose moved before Rey could finish her calculations. Rey saw her movement a split-second to late – Rose drew the blaster from her belt, taking aim at Kylo Ren’s back as he gazed out the window. Before Rey could stop her, Rose fired a single blaster shot at the Supreme Leader.

Ren knew it was coming. Before the blaster shot made it halfway across the room, he had turned and deflected it coolly, sending the shot careening down the hallway behind them. But he wasn’t done. Keeping his arm raised, Ren stalked toward Rose, lifting her up in the air and hurling her against the wall, where he kept her pinned with use of the Force. Rey screamed, watching Rose gasp for breath with the force of the impact on her small body. She drew her saber, but before she could rush Ren, she heard Leia’s voice.

“Ben,” she said, softly. “Let her go.”

Kylo Ren turned toward his mother. Even the physicality of his movement suggested that there was no Ben Solo here. 

“Of course,” he said, simply, but making no move to release the struggling Rose. “As soon as the scavenger plays her part.”

“What part?” Rey spat, saber raised, ready to strike if needed. She knew if she moved too quickly, Ren could have Rose’s life snuffed out with a twist of his wrist. She tried to get her temper under control.

Keeping his hand raised and Rose immobilized, Ren stalked over to where Rey stood, saber ready for battle. He gazed at her for a moment – Rey could tell through that damned mask, he was considering her, sizing her up. Then he leaned down so she could nearly feel the cool metal of his helmet graze against her cheek. The voice that came through the modulator was mocking, a voice to match the bow he had presented them with when he walked through the door.

“Kneel,” he said. It was one syllable that held an enormous amount of weight. Rey physically took a step back from him, so repulsed and angered at the command – she had knelt before him before, had been forced to kneel before him in Snoke’s throne room. This wasn’t that – this was a power play, and Rey wasn’t here for that game.

“No,” she said, shaking her head and baring her teeth. “No. I am a Jedi. I will not kneel before you.”

Kylo Ren shrugged, standing back to his full height. “As you wish, Jedi,” he said, placing mocking emphasis on the title. Behind him, Rose began to choke, gasping for air as Rey saw Ren tighten his fingers. There was nothing for it. He knew, the bastard, what she was going to do. His helmet never left her face.

“Stop.” Rey said, killing her saber and placing it in her belt. When Ren made no movement, she became more forceful. “Stop, I said. I’ll do it, but only if you let her go now.”

Ren cocked his head slightly, and then nodded his affirmation. Rey heard Rose hit the ground behind him, and realized that Leia had rushed to the woman’s side. Mercifully, they were alone in this moment. 

“Your turn,” Ren said, turning his body fully to face her.

Rey felt her stomach do somersaults. She looked down at the ground – only at the ground. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her face. At least she could take that away from him. Stubborn as ever, she dropped quickly to the ground, letting her knees hit hard against the cool metal floor. There would be bruises. She couldn’t care less. 

“Let me see,” she heard Kylo Ren say. She knew what he wanted, and she shook her head violently. He would have to take her privacy from her by force if he wanted to see her eyes in that moment. Which, of course, he did. Rey felt the gloved fingers underneath her chin, tilting her face up to look at his helmet – at where his eyes should have been. The gesture was almost tender. Rey tried not to think about that, or about anything – she didn’t want Ren probing her mind.

“Interesting,” was all he said. There was no insincerity in his voice. “Get up.” Now the command was almost tinged with anger – but anger at what? Rey thought. It was she who should be furious at him – and she was. But now was not the time for retaliation, she knew, as she got back to her feet, slightly unstable. Any reaction on her part would only result in more pain for Rose or Leia, and she wouldn’t have that. Behind Kylo Ren, she could see Leia helping Rose to her feet – Rose looked shaken, but Rey knew the woman had experienced worse, and was a fighter. She wished for all the world she could comfort Rose, though. But in that moment, there was nothing for it.

Ren walked back toward the window, gazing over the rapid preparations being made by the Resistance fighters on the base. “There’s no need for all that,” he said, gesturing casually as though nothing had just happened in the control room. “I’m only here for one reason.”

“Which is?” Rey asked, desperately trying to get her anger under control.

“I should have thought that obvious, Scavenger. I’m here for you.” 

“Well, you can go pound sand,” Rey responded, done trying to hide her disgust. “I’d sooner die than get on that ship with you.”

“An adorable saying, Scavenger,” Ren responded, sounded half-amused and half-bored with their conversation. “But I’m quite ready to be on my way – with you in tow. Now, I don’t have plans for you to die today. But we’re on a base surrounded by several hundred of your rebel friends and I have no moral qualms about killing them.”

Rey knew he wasn’t lying. For all the odd moments of tenderness and longing she’d seem come from Kylo Ren, she knew he was still that – Kylo Ren. This was not Ben Solo standing in front of her. And even here, surrounded by Resistance fighters, the game was still in his hands. Rey looked past him, out the window where the fighters still assembled, and she knew before she spoke that she would not have them die for her. Ren knew it, too, and held out a gloved hand.

This time, there was no ‘please.’ There was only his hand, and his ultimatum. Thankfully, they both knew the jig was up, and Rey decided to make good use of the few moments of freedom she had left. She turned and walked over to Leia and Rose, taking them in her arms. 

“I’ll get free,” she whispered, and they both nodded. Rey then raised her right hand to Rose’s head, which was bleeding slightly from her impact with the wall. She mustered her strength and stitched the wound together with the Force – it was the least she could do for Rose. Both women looked at her, amazed – and Rey smiled gently. She had read of Force healing in the sacred texts, and had been slowly building her skills. She figured now was as good a time as ever to make use of them.

Finally, she moved to unhitch the saber at her waist. 

“Wait,” Ren interjected from across the room. Clearly, he had been allowing their goodbye to take place – he could have intervened at any time. “The saber comes with you.”

Rey knew it was no use arguing. Before she turned away from the women, she bent down, pressed her forehead to Leia’s, and whispered to her. “Tell Poe and Finn, I promise I’ll get free. And don’t come looking for me”

Leia gave her a sad smile, but nodded. Then Rey turned back toward Ren. “Let’s go,” she said, stalking toward the control room door. It didn’t open before her. She turned to face Ren, who extended his hand toward her. Rey rolled her eyes – of course he would force this. Still, there was nothing for it – she could fight back when her friends were safe. 

“Fine,” she said, stalking over to him and grabbing his hand. She knew exactly what he was doing – let the entire Resistance see their Jedi savior hand-in-hand with the Leader of the First Order. Oh, Leia and Rose would set the story straight later, of course, but they would never be able to stop the initial impressions, or the gossip that would spread faster than the true story. That burned Rey to her very core. 

As Ren led her toward the door – which opened, at last – he turned back to his mother and Rose, giving them both a final shallow bow before wordlessly leading Rey out the door, which again, closed behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks for the response to this - it's a little quarantine story, so hopefully lots of frequent updates. Here's a slightly shorter chapter for you.

“He did _what_?”

Finn’s words echoed through the halls of the Falcon. They – Finn, Poe, and Chewie – hadn’t even had the chance to disembark from the ship when they landed at the base. Leia and Rose had been waiting for them, Leia silently ushering them back onto the Falcon and raising the bridge behind them. Finn’s first question – _where’s Rey?_ – had gone unanswered, save for a downcast gaze from Rose and a look of concern from Leia. Finally, Leia found the words to tell them what had happened as Poe paced the length of the Falcon’s inner room and Finn grew increasingly agitated. By the time Leia finished recounting everything that had happened – with some help from Rose, who was still recovering – the men were ready to spring into action.

“Well, time to turn this ship around,” Poe said, doing a quick check of inventory. “Looks like we’re headed for…” He trailed off, turning to look at Leia. “Where exactly did he take her, again?”

“We don’t know,” Rose said, shaking her head. “We sent some reconnaissance ships to follow Kylo Ren’s ship, but he was too fast. They weren’t even able to track him past Ajara. They’re gone, Poe.”

It had been a chaotic few hours on the base. After Ren’s ship had taken off, several of their best remaining pilots bolted after him, tracking systems tuned specifically for the Silencer. They lost him somewhere around Ajan Kloss’s main planet – mere moments from taking off. Meanwhile, on the base, tensions remained extremely high as fighters scrambled to gather supplies and load up transport ships, convinced that the rest of the First Order was on their way to finish them off. It wasn’t until Leia told her closest advisors what had happened, and issued orders to stay put, and several hours of no First Order sightings had passed, that things finally started to calm down –barely. When the Falcon landed on the base, Leia and Rose made the decision to intercept Finn, Poe, and Chewie before they heard stories about what had transpired in their absence.

Finn slammed a hand on the Dejarik board, making everyone jump. “That’s not good enough!” He said, standing and walking over to Leia. “General,” he said, slightly more softly but with the same urgency. “Can’t you feel him? Have any idea where he’s taking her, or why he took her?”

A sad smile played across Leia’s face. “I’ve tried, Finn. For years, I’ve tried. My son has cut himself off entirely from me.” She walked over to the maps they had been scouring, projected on the wall of the Falcon’s inner room. “I have some ideas, but that’s all they are. Perhaps some of them are ideas that shouldn’t be spoken aloud. And I have no idea why he took Rey – apart from one.”  
  
“Which is?” Poe asked, coming to Leia’s side.

Leia shook her head and swiped the maps from the wall. She turned toward the door of the Falcon, opening the bridge and letting the late daylight stream into the dark room.

“Obsession,” she said, before walking down the bridge, very alone.

* * *

The small cargo hold of the Silencer was cold, dark. Rey supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised – space itself was always a freezing void, and so was Kylo Ren, who currently piloted the ship to their destination – wherever that was, Rey thought. He had barely spoken two words to her after the incident in the command room on Ajan Kloss. As soon as they had boarded the Silencer, he grabbed her free hand, holding both in his large, gloved one as he pulled a pair of cuffs from his belt.

She had panicked. Told him there was no need for those – there was nowhere for her to go in space. Still, he had given her a nearly imperceptible shake of the head and placed her wrists in the cuffs, and then lowered her to the floor of the ship. And there she sat – shivering in the darkness of space. Ajan Kloss had been a warm respite from planets like Ahch-To – Luke’s rocky planet had been damp and cold, nothing like her home planet of Jakuu, and she could never get warm. On Ajan Kloss, the nearly tropical moon, she felt much more comfortable, able to dress in light clothes and no heavy robes. She found herself missing the heavy robes now, though.

As Rey sat there, cold and sore from the hard floor, she grew irritated. The time passed like months, and she had space to think about what had just happened – what the _hell_ just happened? The stars streamed by outside the small window in the cargo hold, and Rey decided to reach out to Ren’s mind once again.

It was a mistake.

She felt him react, like a desert snake curling back violently into itself. Rey withdrew, but not quickly enough. The door between the cargo hold and the cockpit slid open, revealing a helmetless Kylo Ren – whose rage was thinly-veiled. His gloved hands opened and clenched tightly at his sides. Rey understood this to be a gesture he made when trying to regain control of his wild temper. She wasn’t afraid – much. She had dealt with her share of rage growing up on Jakuu. Still, Ren was unhinged at best, and unpredictable. And she had no lightsaber – taken by Ren as soon as they boarded the ship – and the cuffs restricted her range of motion, limiting her ability to control the Force. She tread carefully, making herself smaller against the wall of the Silencer.

Ren came and crouched down in front of her. Even when he lowered himself to the ground, he was still massive, imposing, and barely at eye level with her. It was the first time she had seen him without his helmet since the battle in Snoke’s throne room. He hadn’t changed – except he had, very much. Every inch of his face suggested that he had very little to live for right now, except the power and control that came with his new position. And that made him terrifying.

“Don’t do that again,” he said, softly, dangerously. “You might not like what you see.”

“I’ve been in there before,” she returned. “In fact, there’s not much I haven’t seen.”

Rey saw his hands clench again, draped across his knees and dangerously close to her face. She realized the truth, then.

“You don’t want to hurt me,” she said. She laughed out loud, despite knowing it was a horrible idea, really. “Everything I’ve done to you, and everything you’ve done to me, and all the violence you’ve done – and I’m the one person you can’t bring yourself to hurt.”

It was a step too far. Before Rey could blink, Ren’s hands closed a final time into fists and slammed into the wall behind her, effectively caging her against the wall. Rey flinched, making herself as small as possible. She kept her eyes squeezed shut and tried to push his massive body away with the Force, but somehow the cuffs were severely limiting her use of the Force – she didn’t feel cut off completely, more wounded. Ren probably only felt a small shove coming from her hands.

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” he said, finally. “Like I said, don’t look in there. You won’t like it. Open your eyes.” The command came quietly; Ren’s voice was shaking slightly. “Open them, Rey.”

She felt Ren’s fingers underneath her jaw, tilting her face up. Rey gathered her strength and opened her eyes, looking into his. And there they sat.

“Why?” Rey asked, finally. She wasn’t even sure what she meant by the question. Why did you take me? Why didn’t you kill anyone on the base? Why won’t you let me into your mind? Why won’t I like what I see?

Ren shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said, quietly. He removed his hand from the wall aside her head and his fingers from under her jaw, and slowly stood up, continuing to gaze down at her. Involuntarily, Rey shivered – she was still freezing, but not sure the shaking was due to the cold on the ship. Ren tilted his head, sizing her up, and then unwound the dark cowl draped around his shoulders, tossing it down to Rey. In spite of herself and her pride, Rey grabbed it wrapped herself in its folds – on her, it was massive. It smelled of cut stone and ash. She did not thank him.

And then any semblance of a crack in Ren’s façade shattered as he straightened himself and brushed off his robe. “We’re going to the Mustafar system,” he said, walking back toward the cockpit. “You should like it.”

With that, the door slid closed behind him. Rey was no longer cold, but she shivered all the same.


End file.
